In late December (2004), Butler County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Communications cutover to VESTA Pallas and ORION CADStar from Plant Equipment. The solution, implemented by ALLTEL, Inc., of Lincoln, NE, makes the PSAP one of the few in the nation’s heartland to be Phase II compatible. As the primary PSAP for Butler County, the communications center serves a 600 square-mile county in a rural area of eastern Nebraska. The county’s population is approximately 8,700, however Interstate 80 and two major highways add significantly to the PSAP’s calls for service volume.

“A major portion of the 9-1-1 calls we receive come from people driving through the county using cell phones,” says Sheriff Mark Hecker. “The fact that many of them are not able to provide us with accurate information about where they are has been a major concern for us in the past. Now we have a system that lets us see a caller’s location on the map and allows us to dispatch units almost simultaneously. It’s a great improvement from where we were.”

The Sheriff’s Office moved into to a new facility in 2004 and with the new move came an upgrade to both the radio and 9-1-1 telecommunications systems. Some components of the radio system were nearly 25 years old and telecommunicators processed 9-1-1 calls with key-set telephones and an ANI/ALI display.

“We were definitely in need of an upgrade to our equipment,” says Sheriff Hecker. “The new system gives us all the functionality to process wireless, wireline and digital calls, and it was surprisingly easy for our telecommunicators to learn. Some of them have been with us for 15 to 17 years, and were very used to the old system, but it wasn’t a problem.”

Butler County’s primary PSAP dispatches calls for service for David City and 13 smaller communities. Emergency response agencies include two law enforcement and nine fire and rescue departments. The PSAP features two answering/dispatch positions with integrated CAD and 9-1-1. Telecommunicators control both systems with a single keyboard and mouse and two monitors.

“We are pleased that Sheriff Hecker and his team chose a solution from Plant and Alltel to provide emergency communications for Butler County,” says Timothy J. Fuller, President of Plant. “This is a leading-edge solution that brings this rural PSAP to a level of technology that equals or surpasses some of the nation’s larger emergency call-centers.”

The VESTA Pallas, ORION CADStar integrated dispatch solution is available throughout the United States through certified solution providers such as ALLTEL.

“ALLTEL serves 20 PSAPs throughout southeast Nebraska, and 19 of those are equipped with solutions from Plant Equipment,” says Mary Reager, Account Executive for ALLTEL. “Plant’s longevity in the business and the high quality of their products and services, along with performance in the PSAP, have made them a strategic partner for ALLTEL. We look forward to bringing this integrated dispatch solution to many more of our customers.”